Dilute
by SugarSpiral
Summary: It doesn't matter how long you've known someone, or how long you've been friends. It doesn't matter how hard you try, or try not to. Some people are just born to screw up. Takari.


**Dilute.  
**_By _SugarSpiral.

-

Di-lute. _(verb)_

1. to make (a liquid) thinner or weaker by the addition of water.  
2. to make fainter, as a colour.**  
3. to reduce strength, force, or efficiency of by admixture **

_-_

"_You have one new message. First message. Sent today at sixteen forty-one. [Beep]._

"Ok Yagami Hikari, listen up, because here's the deal. I'm throwing a(nother) party in honour of me winning a spot on the school debate party and you **will** be there, or you can assume our friendship null and void. You have to come, consider it a way of making up for screwing up my last one. Everyone's gunna be there- yes, everyone. Including We-Do-Not-Speak-His-Name.

"No, I'm not psychic, Ken told me that's how you refer to Takeru now… Of course may be psychic and just not telling you and… oh! I said his name didn't I… Sorry Hika. But no! Speaking one measly boy's name is nothing compared to what you've put me through in the last week!

"Anyway, where was I… Yes! You owe me girl. I've _nearly_ forgiven you –Ken explained some things- but I can't stand being kept out of the loop like that! You know I can't! So, you simply have be at that party. It's on Friday, and it's a sleepover. Y'know, like the last one was _meant_ to be? …Sorry, I guess that was kind of harsh. I didn't mean it. I know it wasn't what it looked like, I was just being stupid… and we were all pretty drunk.

"Oh, I got sidetracked again… Yes, slumber party. Everyone's staying over. (Yes Hika, _everyone._) And that includes you. Please, please, please come… Honey, I miss you, and I really hope you get this message. This is Inoue Miyako calling.

_"[Beep]."_

The message ended there. For a moment, the single occupant of the room stayed still, lounging on the bed. Her head hurt. As the dial tone began again, the amber eyes slid shut as the girl tried to block out all noise pollution and concentrate on her predicament.

Number one: Miyako had forgiven her. That much was clear. It was nice to witness (if only through a phone call) her constantly changing mood swings. She'd forgotten how much she'd missed them. Number two: Sooner rather than later, she would have to face "We Do Not Speak His Name". In a (hopefully) controlled environment, where -if needs be- any unplesant feelings could be dulled under a wash of alcholic concutions. And number three: She had a date for this Friday. _Date_. Hikari inwardly winced. _Wrong word._ She had an... engagement? Another wince. _Argh, stupid hormones..._ She had a party to go to. A party to go to this Friday.

Yes. That one worked. Of course, things would be a lot easier if she actually knew what the date was... Sighing, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat herself up, squinting towards her calandar. Bright purple lettering declared that today was Wednesday the 18th of November. So that gave her a day -as it was evening now- to prepare herself for the inevitable. _Ha. _Since when had there been so much... so much _drama_ in her life? Slowly, she traced the dates back to Sunday the 1st. Had it really only been a couple of weeks since all causes of sanity, normality, and anchorage had vanished?

Apparently so. Her eyes smarted, and her brows pinched together as the sickening smell of chlorine burned her nose. The lapse of concentration allowed all the noises she'd be blocking out crushed back down apon her. Her parents talking quitely across the hall. Taichi snoring on the sofa. The whirring of the fridge, the ticking of her alarm clock. There was a slight breeze outside, and the leaves were rustleing against each other. Out on the street, someone coughed. And...

"_To return the call, press nine. To repeat, press seven. To hear the message envelope, press four. To delete, press…" _

Minutes had past, but the annoying voice of her speaker phone just _wouldn't_ shut up. Glancing around, she tried to remember where she'd left her phone. Suddenly, her desk was illuminated by the harsh glow of an incoming call. Perhaps it was Miyako, checking she'd got her message? Hikari decided to let it run to voice mail. Even though she was happy they were on speaking terms again, she was too tired for a complex chat about _life._ But what if it was not her violet haired, slightly violent-minded friend? What if it was someone, mere weeks ago, who'd ring just to ask "How're you feeling?"

Her breath caught in her throat as she recognised the personalised ringtone... And in that small, nigh-insignificant point of time Hikari had lunged at the offensive technology, ripped off the removable back and flung the battery as far from her as possible 4x2 bedroom. _No._

She waited a minute for the silence she'd been so absorbed by to resume, but there was none. Because her stupid, stupid heart was hammering away in her chest like it planned to burst right out and leave her to a slow, bloody death. _"Which," _she thought, _"given this up and coming party… being previously engaged might be preferable." _Well, if you were the type of person to call **dead** "previously engaged". Then again, knowing Miyako… Her best friend may just dig her up and drag her corpse to said party anyway. She was quite affectionate like that. Hikari scanned through the various leaflets pinned to her notice board, trying to find an event to concentrate on, to stop the room from spinning. Almost automatically, her eyes were drawn to a white and blue flyer. _The Winter Dance._

Stumbling slightly in her haste, she tore the flyer off and scrunched it into a ball, letting it fall to the floor with a reassuringly soft thump.

She wasn't crazy. She was just tired. She needed sleep -how long had it been since she'd had a proper nights rest? In the gloom, she didn't notice the small, flat object in her path. That was, until she stepped on it. Thankfully, her sharp intake of breath was disguised from her parents knowledge by a particularly loud snore of her brothers. _What would I do without you, Tai?_

-

It was only once she'd realised the culprit her new injury -her cell battery- that Hikari paused to wonder why Takeru would bother calling her after all that had happened. Especially _The Shower Incident..._

She grimaced. A day to prepare for a meeting with her ex-best friend? How was she supposed to manage?

It was official. Yagami Hikari had screwed up big time.


End file.
